It’s not just about banjos and apple-picking.* It’s about cultivating strong relationships and trying to understand each other.

So yeah. I do try to cultivate strong relationships and understand others, but I am just not...peaceful. It's not like I go around chopping off people's heads, but I do get annoyed and I am horrible at letting things go. I will always have the last word, even if it's just in my head.

I see Amity members as people who can let things just roll off them. I don't think they would argue, I don't think they would mutter snarky things, I don't think they would glower mutinously at their fiance when he didn't put his cup in the dishwasher. So yeah. Even more than Abnegation, this faction is not for me. I think I will do better with the final three. I'm ready for them!

Friday, May 13, 2011

This was the first week of the DIVERGENT challenge Deb set up. And I did do some Abnegation-like things!

In DIVERGENT, one of the first things you learn about the Abnegation factions is that they rarely look at themselves in mirrors. So I decided to try that. It was, honestly, not that hard because I don't wear makeup or do fancy things to my hair, so I don't have a huge need to look regularly into the mirror.

I've also been helping out this week with the Help Write Now auction. In a very non-Abnegation manner, I am bringing that up mainly so that those of you who haven't yet visited will see it!

And this week (well, Tuesday, anyway) I started myself on a diet of sorts. Not a losing weight diet, but a cut those unhealthy snacks that are going to make you have a heart attack at age 35 sort of diet. I don't intend to eat only bland things like the Abnegation do, but that sort of self-denial is definitely part of belonging to the Abnegation faction. This was something I'd been telling myself I was going to do for a few weeks now, but maybe being Abnegation this week gave me the push. RIP potato chips. I will miss you. (Except every now and then when I cave which I am sure I will.)

Mostly, I spent a lot of time this week thinking about selfishness and selflessness. And when you should and shouldn't put others before yourself. So way to go, Abnegation challenge, for making me think!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

So I know I'm totally a day late on posting this. But isn't that fitting? This week is Abnegation, and if I'm being Abnegationy, I wouldn't want to draw attention to myself by being ~first~ ...right? (Alright, fine. I have no excuse.)

In the spirit of Abnegation selflessness, instead of explaining what this is, I'm going to just direct you to the brilliant Debra Driza's blog, because she's the one who came up with this idea, and her post explains all.

All week, I am going to try and do Abnegation-like things, and then on Friday, I will post about them.

p.s. this book is awesome, and if you haven't picked up DIVERGENT yet, you really, truly should.

and this is completely separate, but since I'm writing a blog post already, if you're interested in winning a shiny ARC of SHUT OUT by Kody Keplinger (another book that rocks), YA Highway is giving one away!